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Fair Trade News
Up one levelThe Credit Crisis and Fair Trade
The "tsunami" of financial troubles that has ripped through Wall Street and sent panic and fear into Main Street poses several tough questions and situations for the Fair Trade business. In a commentary released in September, authors at Fair Trade Federation notify readers of the direct impacts of the crisis as well as advice for those involved in Fair Trade businesses.
IFAT's Standard: Grassroots Alternative?
IFAT believes that “a modern, voluntary, worldwide standard is needed to identify and define the rules of Fair Trade.” In August 2008, IFAT announced a new certification process (SFTMS) that is expected to help FTO’s differentiate themselves further from conventional buyers and sellers by providing the “seel” for corporate social responsibility. They’ve posted a series of notes and explanations on their website and have invited the public to comment on the Standard’s draft.
Response to a Fair Trade Naysayer
An unfortunate, although increasingly common response to new, against-the-grain ideas (like Fair Trade) is the outcry from skeptical naysayers who’d prefer to put a stop to anything that challenges their view of the world. So, with Fair Trade gaining momentum worldwide, more folks have started paying attention to it, which also means that more people are looking for an excuse to call Fair Trade “bad”.
Alternative Trade Networks and the Coffee System
August 12th, 2008 article from WorldChanging discussing "Confronting the Coffee Crisis", a collection of papers about coffee and fair trade by Christopher M. Bacon (Editor), V. Ernesto Méndez (Editor), Stephen R. Gliessman (Editor), David Goodman (Editor), Jonathan A. Fox (Editor).
Will Coffee Be a Casualty of Climate Change?
CoopCoffee's member roaster Dean from Dean's Beans isn't staying quiet about the potential threat that climate change poses to coffee production all over the world. In his blog published in "The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire," he uses the personal experiences and stories of farmers who are forced to deal with the volatile effects of global warming and the various ecological abnormalities that go along with it.
Is Fair Trade Becoming 'Fair Trade Lite'?
Some proponents say the adjustments needed to bring companies like Wal-Mart and P&G aboard warp the goal of helping small farmers. Must standards for certification be lowered for Fair Trade to have any chance of entering the doors of multimillion-dollar corporations like Walmart? Do the necessary compromises undermine the very nature and essence of the movement? Here's a thought-provoking article about the next step for Fair Trade as it makes its debut in the world of big-box stores and mainstream markets. Business Week article by Pallavi Gogoi June 18th, 2008.
Now I know we’re in a recession
When the economy starts to hurt Starbucks, I know we’re in trouble. Fortunately, Dean’s Beans is still going strong, so there is some hope. For those of you who don’t know, Dean’s Beans started the fair trade movement in coffee and makes a variety of fair trade and organic roasts that put Starbucks to shame (both in terms of taste and corporate policy).
Black Gold: How Fairtrade put the cream into Uganda's coffee
A fascinating, in depth look at the story of coffee trade in Uganda during Idi Amin's terrifying reign, and the beginnings of Fair Trade in the country with UK-based company, Cafédirect.
Monika Firl discussing Fair Trade with Vancouver Cooperative Radio
As Fair Trade coffee makes its way onto the shelves of giant corporations like Walmart, spokespersons such as Monika Firl of Cooperative Coffees, warn that Fair Trade coffee available in such mega-stores may not necessarily embody the original spirit of Fair Trade as "social movement". Read on (and listen!) to discover the inner-workings of the corporate world's adoption of Fair Trade.
Why Fair Trade might be our only hope...
Fair trade might now be necessary not only as a means of redistributing income, but also to feed the world.
Leading article: Fair trade is growing – and working
Saturday, 24 May 2008. The Independent writes about Fair Trade's growing success.
Ethiopia Steals the Show at World’s Largest Coffee Gathering
May 14, 2008 article from African Path looks at the presence of Ethiopian coffee at this year's SCAA.
Fair Trade or fairly traded?
May 8, 2008. Minnesota Daily article discusses the coffee chain and coffee quality, citing Peace Coffee as an example of a true fair trader.
Fair trade still striving to create an identity
April 26, 2008. More people beginning to recognize that fair trade is not necessarily free trade. This Vancouver Sun article looks at consumers' growing awareness of fair trade, and at the challenges that still lie ahead in terms of people's notions of fair trade goes beyond just a "fair price".
Regular, decaf or ethical?
Report on panel discussion at the University of Vermont titled "How Green Is Your Coffee?", featuring Monika Firl, producer relations at CoopCoffees, Mane Alves, CoopCoffees member and coffee cupper, and Ernesto Mendez, a UVM professor and contact for El Comanur cooperative in EL Salvador, looks the coffee crisis and the role fair trade plays in coffee producing countries.
A Wal-Mart PR Issue Brews Anew
Business Week. Retailing April 1, 2008, 6:35PM EST. The retailer's initiative to offer fair-trade coffee is pleasing environmentalists but reheating a debate over treatment of its workers
Coffee with a cause
Consumer Reports: Greener Choices, Products for a Better Planet. A look at the gamut of coffee labels, and how to distinguish between them.
Making Sense of Certification — Fair Trade, Direct Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Whole Trade, and Organic.
March 30th 2008 Posted to Coffee Certification. Thorough overview of different coffee certifications and what they mean.
Fears grow that food inflation threatens Fairtrade
Interesting Guardian article looks at the rising prices of the commodities market, and the affect this might have on fair trade producer cooperatives.
